Save Article

Speed Reading Returns

Apps and Classes Help People Adapt to Reading on Their Phones

People read more than ever on mobile devices and usually in 10-minute bursts, giving rise to a new wave of apps that promise to make reading on a small screen easier. Angela Chen reports on the News Hub. Photo: Getty Images.

By

Angela Chen

March 26, 2014 7:00 p.m. ET

Reading these days is often a few minutes on the phone in the grocery-store line, not an hour curled up with a book on the couch. This quick-hit reading is sparking a renewed interest in the art of speed reading.

People read more than ever on mobile devices and usually in 10-minute bursts, according to research by e-reading subscription services. To tap into this, there's a revival in traditional speed-reading classes as well as new apps that promise to make reading on a small screen easier.